Battle of Custoza (1848)

For the second battle fought at this location, see Battle of Custoza (1866).

Battle of Custoza
Part of the Italian Wars of Independence
Date July 24 – July 25, 1848 Location Custoza, near Verona Result Austrian victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Sardinia	Austrian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Charles Albert Eusebio Bava Ettore de Sonnaz	Joseph Radetzky
Strength
22,000	33,000
Casualties and losses
unknown	unknown

The Battle of Custoza was fought on July 24 and 25, 1848 during the First Italian War of Independence between the armies of the Austrian Empire, commanded by Field Marshal Radetzky, and the Kingdom of Sardinia, led by King Charles Albert of Sardinia-Piedmont.

Background

In March 1848, the city of Milan launched an uprising against Austrian occupation. Charles Albert supported the Milanese revolt and declared war on Austria. Venice also declared its independence from Austria. The Austrian Field Marshal Radetzky withdrew his forces from Milan to the defensive positions based on the four fortresses known as the Quadrilateral: Verona, Mantua, Peschiera, and Legnago. The Piedmontese took Peschiera after a short siege, but Radetzky received substantial reinforcements.

The battle

In July, Charles Albert led an army across the Mincio River in order to occupy the strategic hill-top town of Custoza. Radetzky responded with a decisive counterattack. In a two-day battle, he inflicted a painful defeat on the Piedmontese, with the Austrians taking Custoza after a furious hand-to-hand struggle. Both sides suffered major casualties, each army having lost more than half of its troops during the fight.

The aftermath

Radetzky's victory drove the Piedmontese out of Lombardy and forced them to sign a peace treaty with the Austrians. When the war resumed in March 1849, Radetzky was again victorious at Novara, resulting in Charles Albert's abdication in favor of his son, Victor Emmanuel. By August, Radetzky restored the Austrian authority throughout its Italian provinces.

References

• Battle of Custoza (1848), Encyclopædia Britannica